Measuring apparatus.



C. BERGER. mnsun'mc APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. I5. [918- Patented Mar. 4,1919.

mvENToR CM 801 1.

ATTORNEYS c. BERGER.

musuamc nmnusi APPLI TIOII FRED OCTJG. I938- 1,295,842, Patented Mar. 4,1919.

2 MEETS-SHEET 2.

ours/v WHITE ATTORNEY CHRISTIAN BERGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

uuasumnc arramrns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed October 16,1918. Serial No. 258,329.

all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I CHRISTIANBEBGEB, a

citizen'of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Measuring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings This invention relates to measuring-hpparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for measuring the weight 0 articles such as merchandise; and a particular instance in which this invention possesses utility is the so-called automatic weighing machine having a relatively movable chart of tables or scales upon which the weight, or even the sales price of the commodity upon the scales :is directly indicated. In one type of such machine the chart of tables or scales con-.

sists of a rotary cylinder on which the tables are impressed by printing or otherwise inscribed, thiscylindrical chart being viewable by the salesman at one side and by the customer at the other side.

The general object of the present invention is to improvethe efficiency and con,- venience of measuring apparatus, especially of the kind mentioned, and a particular object is to afford such a machine-with a relatively movable chart, and which can be consulted simultaneously by two persons from different or opposite viewpoints, so as to correctly give the same reading or indication at'each side and without confusion' or other inconvenience. Another 'object is to enable the utilization of the entire sur face of the chart or rotary cylinder for the purpose of indicating measurements readable to the persons at both sides, et without "confusion at either side mm the presence of the numbers or] characters per: taining to the opposite side. Other and further objects and advantages will be elucidated in the hereinafter following description of an embodiment ofthe resent invention, or will'be clear ,tdthose skilled in the art.

I Te -the attainment of the above objects and advantages, the present invention consists infthe novel measuring" apparatus and the norel ltable, scale or chart herein illustrated ordescribed, as well as the various described features of combination, arrangement and detail.

In the accompanying drawings forming 'part hereof, Figure l'is a side elevation showing a suitable measuring apparatus, namely, an automatic weighing machine of usual commercial form and embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a left elevation of the upper part of the same, showing especially the casing anda part of the movable cylindrical chart contained therein.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic central crosssection of the arts seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the cylindrical tabular chart, with many of the numerals or entries omitted andthose that are shown exaggerated in size and arrangement. The first series of numbers in this diagram are indicated completely around the periphery of the chart at the points where they would not be seen in the perspective view, for the purposes of explanation. I f

Figs. 5 and 6 are optical diagrams showing the action of the light and the effect of the medium or screen. c

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the inscription on thechart at the left side.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the corresponding inscription observed by the person at the opposite or righthand side.

Fig. 9 shows how the inscription of Fig. 7 appears to the observer at the left by the use of the medium or screen at. that side, and Fig-1O correspondingly shows how the inscription of Fig. 8 appears to the observer at the right by the use of the medium at of the particular type of measuring or weighing apparatus to which for illustration I have shown the present invention applied. Referring to Fig. 1, within the base 15 and standard 16 is located suitable weighing mechanism, the details of which per 'se form no part of the resentinvention. Above the base is the sea e .panor platform 17, upon which is shown a commodity or article of merchandise 18, which is the subject of sale, and the weight and price of which is to be determined; At the top of the standard is a casing 19, containing the.relatively movable and preferably rotary cylindrical chart 20, mounted referably on a horizontal axis by' any suita le fixtures. 'By this arrangevided with an opening surrounded by a tinctive horizontal or zero line 25 is suitably hood or frame 22, which may contain a plate of glass 23, so that the tabular matter or scales can be easily seen. The scales may be inspected by the general illumination nr daylight, or in some cases it is preferable to rovide special lamps 24.5

ormally, when no article is on the scale pan, the rotating chart or cylinder 20 stands with each of its scales at zero, and as an index to judge the correct reading a disinscribed on the plate glass 23 or otherwise The operation in determining the price of a quantity of material laced in the scale pan may be as follows. he interior mechanism causes the rotation of the cylindrical chart 20 until it comes to balance at the proper adjustment. As shown in Fig. 4, this indicates a reading of 5, which means five cents if the scale system 21 is inscribed to indicate-price. Along the length of the cylinder are a number of these tables or scales of prices, and one or the other of these is consulted according to the unit charge or price per pound of the commodity. For facilitatin reading the chart it is convenient to emp oy at each side an elongated cylindrical lens 26 which extends the whole length of the chart and magnifies the num bers. Along the bottom of the frame is shown a fixed scale 27 of basic prices. The

operation is to select on the price scale 27 the figure indicating the price per pound of the commodity, and by examining directly above this the magnified-view of the proper scale is found, opposite to the index lme 25, a reading which constitutes the total price of the commodity or article being sold.

It is obvious that the set of inscriptions seen by the salesman at the left and shown in Figs. 2 and 4 would upon a half-revolution of the c linder stand in inverted position before 't e customer. This set of numbers, therefore, is not only inverted for the customer, but gives the wrong readings or results, so that the same is of no use at that side of the a paratus, but-on the contrary a distinct detriment in the confusion it would tend to produce in reading a second and properly located set or system of numbers.

According to the present invention I inscribe upon the movable chart two superposed sets of inscriptions of optically dissimilar kinds, for example, of dissimilar or complementary colors. By superposed I mean that one set of inscriptions is printed or impressed upon the chart in roper position, arrangement and size wit out re ect to the other set, and then the other set l1ke set or system of tables is apparent or visible from pne point or side, and the other. set from another point or the opposite side.

Such bein the general characteristics of the present invention, I Will nowdescri'be the preferred mode of embodying the same in practical form.

A convenient mode of providing the duplicate or superposed sets of readings or tables of optically dissimilar kinds is to print the system in two distinctive, opposite or complementary colors, and for the sake of illustration the colors red and green may be chosen, since they are practically complementary for the )urposes of the present invention. In com ination with such a two-color chart, this invention provides correcting means, preferably in the form of optical screens, which may consist simply of colored glasses cbrrespondingwith the selected colors red and reen, and so arranged that thepersons at t e opposite sideswill view the chart by light of the selected complementary colors, respectively.

Thus, referring to the perspective diagram Fig. 4, a set or system of numerals 21 is shown in full lines, representing a red printing color, while in dotted lines representing green is a duplicate system of numerals 21 The latter are, of course, relatively inverted, and are spacedaway from the same numbers on the other system, namely, approximately 180 therefrom. If

now, with this arrangement we can render I the green numerals easily visible or appar= ent to the salesman at the left, while the red numerals are substantially invisible or non-apparent, and at the opposite side can render apparent the red numerals only, then without confusion or inconvenience the persons at the two sides will each perceive the same reading, namely 5, thus attaining the object of the resent invention.

To secure this ,result it is only necessary, according to this invention to 1'0- vide that the salesman at the left siall view the chart with green light, and the customer at the right new it with red light; it being presupposed that the chart itself .is printed on white paper or material. A

"numbers 21,

.slanted ones green color.

to see the chart only by reflected light which 'has been twice transmitted through .the me dium, screen or glass plate 23 This apparently colors the white background of the chart to a green color, and the green printed being of an appropriate shade, blend and disappear so that the observer sees only the red system of numbers or scales; and the converse is true at the opposite side the customer, through the red. glass, seeir only the green colored inscriptions of the chart.

The opt] al principles of this result are made clear on Figs. 5 and 6. On Fig. 5 a portion of the chart 20 is shown, having white, green and red areas. In front stands the green color-screen 23 The'action of a green glass is to shut off the transmission of rays of light other than green. Any white light, therefore, from the chart is converted into green as it passes through. The green .light from the green areas passes through the screen without change, whereas the light from the red areas, having no green component, is wholly cut off at the glass plate. The observer, therefore, at the exterior sees only an even color everywhere, excepting for the red portions of the chart, which send no light to his eye, and therefore appear black. Analogously, Fig. 6 shows how the red portions of the chart blend with the background when seen through the red glass, whereas the green portions stand out as black lines- Figs. 7 to 10 illustrate these results on an enlarged scale. In Figs. 7 and 8 the verti cally shaded lines indicate red color, and the Taking Fig. 7, for example, we have superposed numerals 5 upright and 35 inverted, the former red, the latter green. This is what the salesman would see at the left if there were no screen and he were able to see the chart by white light. The effect of employing the green screen 23 however. is. as shown in Fig. 9, to practically erase the green numeral whereas by contrast the red numeral 5 stands out boldly in black. The more perfect and correct the colors selected for the rinting and for the screens, the more per ect will be the result and inaccuracies will tend to sired numeral, without, however, spoiling the desired eflect. At the opposite or front side the purchaser would see, as in Fig. 8, the upright numeral'5 in green and the inverted 'numeral 35 in red. but being compelled to view this through a red screen, he only observes the numeral 5 standing out in black by contrast. Thus, both the salesman and the purchaser ,are advised that the price of the article is five. a

It is convenient to provide not only the introduce a slight indication of the unde-- that at one side price table system 21 on thechart. but also a weight table 28, which for.convenience may be printed in ty pe of different size and. located at the center as shown in Fig. 2.

lVithout my invention two of such. weight scales, relatively inverted, might be placed side by side,but this would require at each side a mask to conceal the inverted one, thus involving an unsightly and unsymmetrical complication; which is wholly done away with by this invention, by which the duplicate inverted weight scales areprinted one on top of the other in the opposite colors, red and green, dispensing with any mask, and also gaining considerable space and enabling additional price scales to be added toa chart of given length.

In lieu of printing first a green system on the chart, and then a red one, one might be separately printed on a separate transparent paper and wrapped about the other.

Instead of plates 23 and 23 in the ,hoods 22, respectively, the same result maybe accomplished in many other and equivalent way For example, as shown in Fig. 11, a layer 31 of the color red orgreen may be attached or coated on the lens, or the lensdtself might be of glass of the proper color. 01', as in Fig. 12, a small liquid tank may be provided by means of a glass plate 32 spaced away from the lens with peripheral walls 33, the tank being filled with a liquid of the appropriate color. Anilin dyes constitute. suitable colors, and a red and a green dye should be selected which are opposite or compler'nentaryi-n the sense that each substantially excludes the passage of light of the other color. In the Fig. 11 modification the chart may be printed with a red or green dye or ink of this kind, and the lens coated with a layer of the same material held in place by gelatin or other suitable vehicle. The liquid tank of Fig. 12 permits the anilin color to be increased or decreased in strength or depth to adjust it to the purposes of the invention.

Instead of placing a screen between the eye and the chart, a similar result may be 0 tained by'brightly illuminating the chart by colored light. Thus, as in Fig. 13, the green screen 23 is placed between the lamp 24 and the hood 22. In efl'ect the white parts of the chart are thereby colored up to a green color sufliciently matching the green printed numbers to render them invisible, whereas the red printed numbers will stand out prominently as black. At the opposite side a. red screen 23 similarly placed will give analogous results; and in some cases the color screen at one side might be wholly omitted if the chart were printed vividly in one color and palely in the other color, so by ordinary light and at the other side by colored light the proper sysproviding the colored glass term or set of chart numerals would be relatively more apparent than the other.

It will thus be seen that I have described one form of measuring apparatus, namely, a weighing machine of a suitable type, the same embodying the principles and attaining the o jects and advantages of the present invention. but since many described and illustrated matters of form, arrangement, combination, details and other features may be variously modified without departing from the underlying principles, it is not intended to limit the invention to such features excepting as specified in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

.1. An automatic weighing machine of the type having a rotatable cylindrical chart viewable from oppositesides, the same comprising said chart, the same printed with duplicate sets of tables by complementary colors, as red and green. in combination with optical screens in front of said chart at the two sides thereof, the same having colors corresponding respectively to said colors,

.whereby one set of tables is apparent to an observer at one side and the other set at the other side.

2. A measuring apparatus comprising measuring means, a chart inscribed with superposed sets of inscriptions of optically dissimilar kinds, the same viewable simultaneously from different viewpoints andmounted and connected so as to be shifiab le by the action of the measuring means, in

combination with an optical correcting means whereby one set of such inscriptions is predominantly apparent from one view point and another set from another view point.

3. A measuring apparatus comprising measuring means. a chart inscribed with superposed sets of inscriptions of optically dissimilar kinds, the same viewable simultaneously from different viewpoints and mounted and connected so as to be shiftable by the action of the measuring means, in combination with dissimilar optical screens located at different points such that one set of such inscriptions is predominantly apparent through one screen from one viewpoint and another set through another screen from another viewpoint;

4. In or for a measuring apparatus a printed chart having a tabular set of inscriptions printed in one character or color, and superposed on the same a duplicate or cor responding tabular set of inscriptionsprinted in a dissimilar character or color and in a predetermined relation to the first set.

5. A weighing apparatus comprisingca rotatable chart viewable from diiierentsides and printed with two superposed systems of inscriptions of opposite colors. in combination with means whereby from the difierent sides the chart is viewed by light of different colors.

6. A weighing up iaratus comprising a rotatable chart viewa le from different sides and printed with two superposed systems of inscriptions of opposite colors. in combina-' tion with screens of corresponding colors at the two sides respectively.

7. A weighing apparatus comprising a rotatable chart viewable from diiierent sides and printed with two superposed systems of inscriptions of opposite colors. in combination with an elongated -lens and a color screen.

8. A weighing apparatus comprising a rotatable chart viewable from different sides and printed with two superposed systems of inscriptions of opposite colors, in combination with an elongated lens and a color screcin said screen consisting of a transparent tank containing dilute color material corresponding to one of those with which the chart is printed.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixcd my signature hereto. 

